Blog Timeline

I remember ads for “Lee Press-On Nails.” For a small investment of money and time, you too could have long, strong, beautiful nails. They would save you the frustration and impatience of trying to grow your own. But the danger of press-on nails may outweigh the benefit, especially in the

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to various groups of his disciples over forty days. So why didn’t he appear to the Jewish leaders, or to Pilate, and prove that he was who he said he was? I believe it has to do with faith. Those leaders didn’t believe in him

For the last twenty years or so, Joe has returned to this same plot of ground at about this same time of year – middle Spring – and every year he’s amazed at how much dead and dried out “stuff” has accumulated. He can’t really till, or fertilize, or plant,

The Beatitudes contain some of the world’s most sublime ethical teaching. Like the Ten Commandments, they often adorn our wall plaques and posters. We sometimes say to each other, “If only people would live by these, the world would be a much better place.” But people who try to actually

Every January, the Pennsylvania Farm Show hosts a “sheep-to-shawl” competition. At first it’s exciting – strips of wool sheared off docile (but unhappy) sheep, lots of action. But soon the process settles into a rhythm, become almost routine. Watching crowds drift away to grab something to eat, or visit other

In a recent sermon, a North Carolina pastor expressed real fear that the political extremes in our country are trying to either “take God out of America” or “make God out of America.” Both extremes are dangerous for our future. We are facing one of the most polarizing elections in

I was telling the story of the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace to some of our Day Care children, when one of them asked, “What’s an idol?” They didn’t quite understand the idea of “bowing to an idol” and why that was so bad. We can fall prey

Scores killed in Italian earthquake! Afghanistan war re-escalating! Police officers killed in Dallas ambush! Are these “signs of the times”? Is the Second Coming imminent? One famous theologian said we should read the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other (as history unfolds we can see prophecies

“Back to School” When we were kids, two days before school started, Grandpap (Mom’s father) would drive us to the little suburb of Castle Shannon, where we would catch a streetcar into downtown Pittsburgh. The little “five and ten” where we bought our back-to-school supplies also had racks and bins

“Freedom isn’t free.” It’s become a popular slogan to describe the reality that someone must pay the price for the many to enjoy freedom. In the movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” a small unit was sent to retrieve Private Ryan from his field assignment; his brother had been killed, and Ryan